


Quill and Parchment

by cerabi



Series: Twice Hogwarts AU [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Comedy, F/F, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerabi/pseuds/cerabi
Summary: As soon as the four of them stepped through the archway, Mina looked quickly over his shoulder and saw it shrink instantly back into solid wall. It made her jaw slack as she gaped helplessly while her father clutched her hand tightly.“Magic is amazing, isn’t it?” Mina bobbed her head, her eyes still fixated on how the gate reverted back to the now solid brick wall where they came from. “It’s gonna be more amazing once we’re studying in Hogwarts.”
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Son Chaeyoung, Kim Dahyun/Minatozaki Sana, Myoui Mina/Yoo Jeongyeon
Series: Twice Hogwarts AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690291
Comments: 18
Kudos: 104





	1. The Sorting Hat

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. I always loved Harry Potter and this work had been in my saved files for ages. I mulled quite a lot of things while making it so it took a while to post. It will be a multi-chapter work but rest assured I have already finished writing (almost) this one so updates will be more frequent.
> 
> I will also post it under a series because if ideas strike, I will probably make a few side stories to show other characters or an in-depth story about the girls, would love to post one-shots of their (mis)adventures.
> 
> Also, some of the descriptions in this work are directly taken from the books. I had to do a lot of research to make sure that everything somehow stays in touch with the original world. Your comments and feedback will be appreciated. Enjoy :)

::::

::::

"So, which house do you want to be in?" Jeongyeon asked. They were sitting in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, two weeks after they shopped for their stuff.

The two of them promised to meet up at least once before going to Hogwarts, and this was their third. This time however, Jeongyeon was with her parents, who were now in a deep, engaging conversation with the Myoui's. 

Mina's gaze was fixed in their parents' table, as her father animatedly showed Jeongyeon's father one of his inventions. "I don't even know. How about you?"

Jeongyeon pondered on the question as she scooped her ice cream. "I'll probably end up anywhere to be honest."

"Even Slytherin?" Mina wondered, her mind not grasping the thought of Jeongyeon being ambitious nor cunning.

"Why not? I don't even mind if I'm gonna be sorted there, as long as you're around," Jeongyeon answered. "My mom was sorted in Gryffindor but my dad is from Hufflepuff," she said proudly, "my oldest sister is currently a prefect in Ravenclaw while Seungyeon is in Gryffindor. Mom was a rule breaker during her time in Hogwarts. Besides, I am sure my best friend, Im Nayeon will be in Slytherin."

Mina listened attentively as Jeongyeon told her tales that her father once shared with her long ago. She noticed how bright her eyes shined as she narrated Seungyeon's adventures in Gryffindor and how she too, wanted to be a Quidditch player just like her sisters.

"I just want to be where you will be," Mina squeaked, playing with her spoon. "I want to be where my friend is."

To say she was touched was an understatement, because next thing Mina knew, Jeongyeon gave her a big grin and a thumbs up. "I hope I'll be where you will be too. It will be nice if we end up in the same house."

"Thank you, Jeongyeon." Mina was grateful, she really was. No one had ever done so much for her as Jeongyeon did, and no one wanted to be her friend like her.

“But I don’t think it really matters, we can always find a way. I want you to meet my friends too, their names are Jihyo and Nayeon." Jeongyeon recalled as she relaxed on her seat, "I can already imagine all of us being close friends."

"I'd want that." Mina was hopeful as she looked at Jeongyeon. In an environment where she would be alone, she found a friend in her.

It would be a dream come true for Mina.

It had only been a few weeks since Mina purchased her books and the stuff she would bring to Hogwarts, but every passing day filled her with excitement and dread - dread because she will have to be separated from her parents for the school year, excitement because this was a world that she, Myoui Mina, might fit into. 

Maybe this was her own answered prayer, maybe this would be where she really belonged. In any case, she spent all waking hours of her remaining time studying books and learning more about Hogwarts, to a point that she even finished Hogwarts, a History. 

To say that she was fascinated was an understatement. Here was a world which was different from her own - one that spoke of a magical castle that lay hidden from the eyes of ordinary humans - muggles. It had so much history and was rich in culture on its own. There were mythical creatures and tales of the unknown, a lot of hidden passageways and secrets that people dared to uncover. 

::::

"Gryffindor!" the sorting hat shouted, causing one of the noble house's table to roar in applause. People from the same house hollered and congratulated the girl and even her sister gave her a playful punch in the shoulder. Amidst the celebration, the skinny girl looked at her direction, her signature crooked grin shining as bright as her eyes.

Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin). There was hope there, and a bit of a plea that she too, would be where the girl, Jeongyeon would be. 

But she was hesitant - she was never as brave as any Gryffindor, nor was she ever bold. She would much rather stick her nose inside a large book instead. And she felt like the only thing she had that was closest to the Gryffindor spirit was her determination.

And for a while, her heart plummeted to her stomach. She wanted to be where her friend was.

Since she found out she was a witch, Jeongyeon told her about the wonders of Hogwarts and how she would one day go study there. She dreamt of seeing the many marble staircases that leads to different destinations, of the sorting hat finally giving her a place to call home. She dreamt of seeing the magical beasts in the forbidden forest, of studying potions and charms and transfiguration. She imagined the cool summer breeze as she rode a Nimbus, or being in the arena to watch the different houses play quidditch.

And most of all, she wanted to be with a friend who would be there for her throughout her stay and even after - a friend whom she would study with, play Exploding Snaps with, explore Hogsmeade with.

And to think that the first friend who held her hand and who looked forward to them being together in a vast school of magic would not be by her side or in the same house as she was daunting.

It terrified her.

The girl seemingly noticed her plight, for a few seconds later she was at her side and took her hand, giving her a large grin and a reassuring squeeze.

No words were spoken.

"Myoui Mina," the professor called, making Mina jump from her seat. She took a huge gulp and looked at her friend, who poked her cheek in response. 

"You'll be fine." Mina squeezed Jeongyeon's hand back and nodded at her, 

The walk towards the sorting hat felt like an eternity for her. Her mind was reeling with a lot of what if's, filled with fear that even in Hogwarts, she would be alone.

"Why are you shaking, lad?" The sorting hat asked, "are you scared to find out where you belong?"

Mina gulped, her heart racing from the adrenaline that somehow managed to fire itself up in her veins. At this point as the professor put the hat on her head, she could even hear her own heart beating as she closed her eyes.

"Hmmmm, the kid's got some determination, yes, very smart as well." The sorting hat paused, pondered and even look at Mina - whose eyes were closed and fingers curled into fists. "You're thinking that you want to be in Gryffindor, yes?"

"Yes," she agreed meekly, wishing that the sorting hat would listen to her plea.

"But if I put you there, you won’t achieve your full potential, hmmmmm.. this is extremely difficult. Are you sure this is your wish?"

Mina's gaze went towards Jeongyeon's direction - Jeongyeon whose hands are clasped together as she waited for the outcome, Jeongyeon who was biting her lips as she looked at her, looking as equally nervous. Mina met her gaze and she gave her a reassuring smile - one that told nothing and everything at all. 

“You’d do great things if I put you where you truly belong.”

Where she truly belonged? Was there really a place? Would she regret her choice of being a Gryffindor? She didn’t know what to do, her heart whirring at a fleeting pace. She looked at Jeongyeon and remembered.

She was Mina – the one who loved reading books, who would always pull Jeongyeon to read with her whenever they were together. She was the girl who loved staying indoors, studying about potions or charms – the one who loved to share what she learned. Her heart beat hard in her chest, her stomach twisted, terrified.

And Jeongyeon welcomed it, didn’t she?

"Ravenclaw!" The sorting hat roared, earning a mix of disappointed boos from Gryffindors and applause from Ravenclaw. 

::::

::::

There was never a day that Mina didn’t see or hear from Jeongyeon.

True to her promise, the girl kept in contact, even going as far as sending letters through her owl, Errol, every day. The light of dawn seeped into her windows and caused her to rub her bleary eyes. Still in her pajamas, she looked out of the window and saw dazzling colors of red, amber and yellow from the trees of the Forbidden Forest, along with a pearly glow in the sky. She could almost smell the dry, sharp prickly smell of the frosty air.

Mina propped herself up after enjoying the view and pulled a quill and parchment out of her bedside cabinet, giving the owl a few treats before thinking of what to say.

::::

At three-thirty in that afternoon, Mina and the other houses hurried down the front steps onto the ground for their first flying lessons. Mina tried to look for the red and gold uniforms on her way down with her classmates, but to no avail. She was hoping they would be paired with the Gryffindor first years this time.

The weather was clear and bright, Mina thought, as the sun was up proudly. The cool breeze of the wind was also quite refreshing even with the heat of the midday sun. The grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

As soon as they halted, Mina’s face perked up at the sight of Jeongyeon and her friend Jihyo waving excitedly at her, smiling ear to ear. She quickly looked at her new friend, Chaeyoung and Chaeyoung’s best friend, Dahyun, who smiled widely at her. As soon as they did, she broke into a run.

Jeongyeon hugged her as soon as she reached them, the three of them giggling. Quickly, the oldest girl pointed towards the twenty broomsticks lined up on the ground and took Mina’s hand. “I’m so excited,” Jeongyeon squealed, her eyes as bright as her smile.

“She couldn’t stop talking about it the whole day,” Jihyo told Mina. Park Jihyo was one of Jeongyeon’s childhood best friend, who had been with her since she was a toddler. Mina only met her a couple of times but she could already tell how close they were. According to their other best friend, Im Nayeon, the two of them love to bicker and drag her along.

“I could tell from her letters,” Mina responded, giving the older girl a small hug. Both of them looked at each other as Jeongyeon examined the brooms in front of them carefully, already lost in her own world.

“I am glad you’re finally here so I can stop listening to her squawking about wanting to audition for Quidditch.”

“But I thought not a lot of first-years make it to the teams?” Mina inquired, curious.

“This little shit has known how to fly a broom since she was in diapers, it nearly gave uncle a heart attack. Pretty sure she would do well.” 

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived shortly after. She was a tall woman with short, gray hair and striking yellow eyes. As soon as the students saw her, they fell silent and gave her a respective bow.

“Well, what are you all waiting for?” she barked. “Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.”

Mina stood beside Jeongyeon and glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

“Stick out your right hand over your broom,” called Madam Hooch at the front, “and say ‘Up!’”

“UP!” everyone shouted.

Jeongyeon’s broom jumped into her hand at her confident tone, causing her to smile. She saw Jihyo’s broom go up as well, but theirs was one of the few that did, as Mina’s had simply rolled over on the ground, and others hadn’t moved at all.

Madam Hooch then took a broom for herself and showed them how to mount theirs without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips.

“Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard,” said Madam Hooch. “Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly.

On my whistle — three — two — one — go!”

The whistle sounded and a few riders took off. Jihyo was the first one off the ground followed by Jeongyeon, who rose slowly to check on Mina.

The girl’s broom was shaky as it ascended, making Jeongyeon’s brow furrow. She knew the brooms were already old, but she could tell with Mina’s posture that she was in fact, scared. Jeongyeon descended to her level and took her hand, smiling at her as the younger girl gave a nervous laugh. Slowly, both went up a few notches, away from the air traffic as their fellow students tried to follow the given instructions, a few feet from them, Madam Hooch was helping Kim Dahyun to ride her broom.

“Keep your shoulders straight and relax,” Jeongyeon muttered, letting go of her hand to softly pat her shoulders. Mina’s posture seemed to slacken a bit from her actions, prompting her to smile at the older girl. “Yeah, that’s right. Now slowly go up. Remember that you’re in control and the broom will follow you.”

Jeongyeon pulled the broomstick up a little higher, urging Mina to follow her lead. She leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands to steady herself and followed her, making Jeongyeon grin and clap her hands. The two of them looked to Madam Hooch’s direction, noting that both her and Son Chaeyoung, Mina’s friend, were now lifting Kim Dahyun off the ground. “Poor Dahyun,” Mina lamented, knowing that Dahyun was scared of heights.

“I know, but I am sure she can handle the basics,” Jeongyeon reassured, flying close to her. “Now let’s see,” Jeongyeon pondered, touching her chin, “your broom will read your body movements as you already know. Always focus on your destination so you don’t get scared.”

Jeongyeon went forward and tilted her broom back to Mina and the latter followed suit, causing her to cheer loudly and clap her hands together. Slowly after, the two of them descended from the sky, bursting to laughter after a high five.

“You’re great Minari,” shouted Jihyo a little while later as she rejoined the duo. “I think you can even become a Quidditch player if you want to. Your competitive attitude plus your genius would surely help win the Ravenclaw a championship.”

“I’m okay, I think I’m better suited here in the ground for now, I’m scared of how I will go down once I’m all the way up,” Mina laughed light-heartedly, putting her broom back in place. Around them, others have started flying back down, while some still struggled to go up. “I’ll just cheer for Jeongie and you if you guys decide for the Quidditch try outs.”

“I think Jeongyeon will manage just fine,” Jihyo prompted, setting her broom down as well.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to play Quidditch eventually,” Jeongyeon said brightly, grinning at them. Jihyo looked at her suspiciously, to which the older girl lifted her eyebrow to look at her, bemused. “What?”

“Nothing,” Jihyo replied, turning back to Mina. “Jeongyeon and her sisters always loved to fly ever since they were small. Seungyeon-unnie was the one who taught me how to ride a broom,” Jihyo explained. “Her oldest sister is the Ravenclaw quidditch captain.”

“I didn’t know that.” Mina was crestfallen that she didn’t even realize that Seoyeon-unnie, who was in the same house as her, was their quidditch captain. She met her a few times in their dormitory and the older Yoo sister was always friendly with her. “I only know she is our prefect.”

“And a great one at that, plus a genius,” Jihyo continued. “Still, I’m glad our Mina is in Ravenclaw. Please make sure to tell Jeongyeon to study.”

Mina giggled as Jeongyeon directed a death glare towards Jihyo. “I will make sure to remind her.”

It was only her first year, but it felt like the world was in her hands. There was so much to learn, so many things to discover and a lot of people to meet. She had friends by her side and she was able to enjoy classes and ace them.

And be as it might that her new best friend was not in her house, she never failed to be there.

::::

::::


	2. Mudbloods and Murmurs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Nayeon met Momo, she saw things that people usually missed. There was a determined gaze and hunger at her words and stories, along with a gentle kindness in her eyes. And Nayeon knew that this person would be special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, thank you so much for the comments and for reading this. I really really appreciate it and I hope you guys are enjoying the journey so far!
> 
> Second, feel free to let me know your thoughts and opinions as the story progresses. Do know that if I include all of the scenes I want in this, it will never end so I have to cut a lot and maybe will just post them separately. 
> 
> Third, I hope you enjoy. :)

::::

::::

::::

Red and purple glow invaded the late summer skies. The air was crisp and cool, signifying the return of Autumn. Soon the trees would be painted with flames and ambers, but for now, the Elysium green still littered the fields.

A girl huffed and inhaled the cool, afternoon air, one hand on the map as another protected her eyes from the dimming light of the sun. The street where her friend lived was clean and peaceful, too organized for her taste with the way the houses were lined up. On her right was a park that children merrily littered with their parents; the left, on the other hand, was quiet and filled with houses of various sizes and shapes.

Jeongyeon carefully followed the direction present on the map, her feet making slow and steady steps. She was nervous and at the same time ecstatic, because it was not every day that you’d visit somewhere totally different from where you grew up. She was antsy but she already knew she was looking forward to meeting her friend.

As soon as she arrived on a forked path, she suddenly noticed the house on the corner of the street. It was warm and welcoming, unlike the identical houses that littered the street. There was a small garden inside with colorful flowers, as well as a comfortable set of chairs complete with fluffy-looking cushions. As soon as she stood outside, her brows furrowed as she looked around. Mina told her to press a button that should be located in the smaller gate.

Suspicious, Jeongyeon carefully pressed the small elevated button on her right. As soon as she did, however, a buzzing noise resounded on the lot.

Jeongyeon quickly scampered back in surprise but as soon as her hands left the elevation, the thing stopped shrieking. She hoped she didn’t bother the whole house with that noise but maybe that was its function. She felt dumb.

“Coming!” a familiar voice shouted from the inside. She could hear shuffling and the door opening. Soon enough, the gate creaked and revealed another girl near her age. And before she knew it, a gummy smile peaked from the inside.

“Hi,” Jeongyeon gave her a grin of her own and Mina immediately scurried away to open the gate and greet her with the warmest hug.

“I missed you,” Mina.

“I think that button wanted to wake your whole house by the way. Either that or it was shouting at me.” Jeongyeon surmised, still dazed and antsy.

“Silly Jeongie,” Mina chuckled, pulling her inside and closing the gate. Jeongyeon kept looking back at the small contraption as she got inside the house. “That’s a doorbell, it alerts us when someone is outside the gate looking for us.”

“But how does it do that? I thought I was going to get apprehended me or something.”

“It is connected to the house,” Mina explained, removing her slippers as she gestured Jeongyeon to enter. “If you were listening to Professor Flitwick, these devices are alive because of electricity, like most of our furniture.”

“Is the house alive then?” Jeongyeon asked in wonder, stepping in as soon as she removed her shoes.

“I guess you can say that. Muggles have their own version of magic,” Mina wiggled her brow, chuckling. “Mom, Jeongyeon is here.”

Sachiko Myoui peeked from the kitchen in greeting, a wide smile plastered on her face. “Hello Jeongyeon, please make yourself at home.”

“Hello Mrs. Myoui, Thank you for having me,” Jeongyeon bowed shily. “I hope you are doing well. Mom and Dad send their regards.”

“We are delighted to have you dear,” Sachiko beamed. “I hope your parents are doing well?”

“They are Ma’am. Thank you for having me,” Jeongyeon responded politely.

“This is the first time Mina invited someone. I hope you will have fun.” Her eyes were gentle and kind, with a twinkle of joy in them that wasn’t lost to Jeongyeon.

The girl grinned widely, eyes crinkling. “I sure will Ma’am.”

::::

To say that Mina was amused was an understatement because everything just amazed Jeongyeon to no end. Turning on the light startled her, but as soon as Mina explained it, the older girl kept playing with the switch.

Then she introduced the television and Jeongyeon yelped in surprise.

“Mina, how come they are inside that contraption?” she asked, her eyes wide in horror. “Don’t they feel suffocated there? How did they shrink them?”

Mina doubled in her bed laughing, her stomach hurting from the look in Jeongyeon’s face. She tried to explain how a television worked but the girl was having none of it, the look on her face of clear disbelief. “I really thought muggles didn’t know magic.”

It took a bit of time for Jeongyeon to get used to her new surroundings, both marveling and astonished at how this world was different from her own. Still, it pleased Mina to know that Jeongyeon was really fond and accepting of it, as she was really insecure about her heritage.

Studying in Hogwarts had been pleasant and opened her eyes to a whole new world. Through it, she met wonderful friends and amazing professors. It was also because of it that she learned about magic and its history, its uses and how it worked. It was a totally new world, one that was generally pleasant and a place where she felt like she belonged.

Still, like all others, Hogwarts was never immune to discrimination and judgment. As there were pureblood wizards who came from a line of magical families, there were also muggle-born witches like her who developed a magical core despite being born from two non-magical parents.

And, as much as she hated it, some people still looked down upon muggle-borns even through this day and age.

Whispers of purebloods hating on muggles and muggle-borns was not new. And although her friends were generally accepting, bringing Jeongyeon here made her antsy as she didn’t know what to expect. 

And the look of pure, innocent wonder on Jeongyeon’s face was enough to calm Mina’s heart. She looked through the photos on her desk and asked why they were not moving, checked on her bedside lamp until she found a switch and grinned as she turned it on.

::::

“So you’re telling me that the cinema was like a tevelision, but bigger?” Jeongyeon asked, her hands clutching the seatbelt firmly.

They were in the backseat of the Myoui family car, with Akira Myoui humming along with the tune as he drove them to the nearby mall.

“Te-le-vi-sion, and yes,” Mina concurred. Earlier today, she explained that they were going to a place where a lot of people hang out to shop, as well as to hang out. Jeongyeon’s eyes lit up as soon as she explained, but seemed a bit lost on what the place looked like.

“Okay, so what is the difference between watching it there and watching it at home then?”

“Because newly released movie-stories can only be watched in a cinema.”

“Oh, right.”

“But you got to be quiet, because there are a lot of other people who will watch with us,” Mina quipped. She didn’t know if she could introduce the concept of cartoons yet.

It ended up with both of them almost being kicked out.

::::

Days passed ever so quickly as the two of them had fun. On mornings, they would join the Myoui household for breakfast and then would go to Mina’s room to build legos or just watch the television. Jeongyeon was particularly fond of the legos and Mina would just silently watch as the former’s eyes concentrated on the task at hand. Even during their Hogwarts days, it was rare to see Jeongyeon invested in something other than Quidditch. She was responsible yes, but more often than not her focus was always elsewhere. Sometimes, they would even forget the time and would only stop when they were called for food.

On the other hand, puzzles were the bane of Jeongyeon’s existence.

“But how could you even complete something that has the same colors? Why would we even want to waste a lot of time to build a picture when we can use magic and even make it move?”

Mina would often get frustrated during evenings when she would try to finish off the puzzle they bought, because it always ended up with her doing most of the work and Jeongyeon just silently watching. At times she would make a lot of progress, but in the end, the puzzle had too many pieces that they would just both give up on it.

On their last day, Jeongyeon grinned widely as she showed her the finished piece, eyes twinkling even though the bags under them were prominent. Mina couldn’t help but grin back and pull her into a hug.

“Jeongyeon?”

“Yes sir?”

“Thank you for taking care of my Mina.”

Her crooked grin was playful as always, her eyes shining at the compliment she has received. Not once had Mina’s parents complained, always singing praises at how much of a good kid Jeongyeon was.

Her smile always managed to brighten Mina’s day. Twice over.

::::

It was getting colder and darker, and leaves started falling from the trees. There was a colorful warm hue everywhere, a slight chill in the air overnight and frost on the ground during the morning. Mist and fog hung thickly in the air, a reminder of what was to come.

The city was busy as always, women chattered animatedly in the corner and cars buzzed from traffic. Beneath Mina’s feet, the dry, dead leaves of red and yellow crunched and as she breathed out a sigh, a cloud of warm air appeared from her mouth.

The warmth still lingered like the sun that hung high above the sky, and yet the cool breeze of the air was palpable.

And Mina knew it was time to come back.

With a smile and a kiss goodbye to her parents, who wistfully looked at her and reminded her of things she already knew, she boarded the train and waved them goodbye, a lone figure waiting for her with a crooked smile.

As soon as they have arrived in the castle, she joined the other Ravenclaw of her class as they huddled together and entered the Great Hall, hours after. Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle in their wake.

Overhead, the bewitched ceiling mirrored the night outside, making new students’ jaw drop in amazement. It sparkled with the stars and moved accordingly, as if gravity also controlled the rotation inside.

A long line of scared-looking first years entered the sea of pointed Hogwarts hats, a little while later, as one of her professors placed the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers. It brought Mina back to the time they were sorted – how torn she was on where she wanted to be and where she belonged.

Exactly one year ago, she stood petrified in a sea of hundreds, waiting for the hat to decide on her destiny. Exactly a year ago, a few girls around her age congratulated her as soon as she got sorted, genuinely happy as they hugged her and brought her back to her new home.

Mina sat beside Chaeyoung and Dahyun, who were animatedly betting which of the first years would land in their respective house – be it Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, wistfully looking at her other friends on the opposite side of the table.

Red and gold scarves hung on the girls’ necks, seemingly oblivious that Mina was looking at them. The younger girl was whispering something on the older girl’s ear, prompting the older one to listen closely and crinkle her eyes. Both of them laughed and pointed towards someone from another table, undoubtedly their best friend Im Nayeon. The girl glared and pouted at them and the two apologetically gave out a grin, making Mina smile.

Sometimes, she was still wistful about her choice.

“Mina!” Chaeyoung called, bringing Mina back to her senses. The younger girl then propped herself up from her seat to check Mina’s forehead, which prompted her to blush. “You don’t look like you have a fever. Are you alright?”

Mina nodded at them, embarrassed to be caught staring. “Y-yes, don’t worry about me.”

::::

When Nayeon met Momo, it wasn’t somewhere special really.

They were inside the potions dungeon, in a large room lined with pickled animals in glass jars. She stealthily tried to go to the seat she occupied last potions period, having forgotten her book and homework.

But she stopped as soon as she saw a few Slytherins and a lone Hufflepuff of the same year serving what might have been detention.

The lone Hufflepuff stood meekly in the corner of the room, near the gargoyle which poured ice-cold water to a basin. Nayeon looked at the board and saw the instructions written on how to brew a Sleeping Draught.

When Nayeon met Momo, her eyes were mesmerized with the way she moved, the way she carried herself, the way she concentrated – not minding the three other people who tried to get her attention to distract her.

Her brows were crumpled, her eyes fixated on her book as her hands moved to count the ingredients she needed. Her concentration never faltered on the task at hand – eyes focused and movements precise, as if there was a constant need to prove herself.

She went over the ingredients, slowly muttering names. Then she checked how the water in her cauldron was brewing, scanning the book for things amiss.

The three others scrambled, barely working and just whispering nonsense that made Nayeon’s brow furrow. They looked at the lone Hufflepuff girl and laughed, making the former stop to sigh and then resumed on her work.

Nayeon didn’t know what transpired or how the girl landed in this mess even though she didn’t look like she was a delinquent, but she had the faintest idea that it wasn’t her fault. She was about to leave when a filthy word escaped on one of the three students’ mouths.

Without even thinking, she took her wand and muttered a spell.

One of them landed on his bum and looked at her, exasperated. Feigning ignorance, she tucked her wand back to her pocket and gave them a glare.

As soon as she exited to meet her friend, Tzuyu, she saw a worried Hufflepuff waiting near the door, pacing. Her face was blank and her eyes were downcast. Somehow, Nayeon was glad she was there.

::::

“Where is Jeongyeon?” Nayeon asked, sitting down next to Jihyo in the Gryffindor table. It was dinner time and the Great Hall was full of students passing by or having dinner, as rumbustious sounds echoed loudly in the air.

“She went to the tower to get her books,” Jihyo responded nonchalantly, sipping through the soup.

“Oh? I thought there was no homework due today?”

“No, but the Potions homework is due during Quidditch try-outs,” Jihyo explained. “I think Mina’s attitude rubbed off her. Although I am still doubting the quality of her work.”

“That will be your job then,” Nayeon chuckled, making Jihyo grunt.

“Are you not going to take part in Slytherin’s trials?” It was Jihyo’s turn to ask this time, surprising her.

“I don’t think I should,” Nayeon confided. “I still want to do well in our classes.”

“Why not? You will be a pretty good addition to the team. I heard they lack Chasers.”

“And what about you?” Nayeon retorted, pushing back the question to her. “Why don’t you want to join the trials with Jeong?”

“I’m thinking about it,” Jihyo clarified. “I’m pretty sure we will be reserves for now but I don’t mind. I just don’t want to be rejected.”

“You’re too talented to be rejected Hyo, have more confidence in yourself.” Nayeon shrugged and dug in her pumpkin soup. As soon as she did, however, a group of scared-looking first years passing by stared at her.

And she stared back, making them scramble away.

It wasn’t an unusual sight to see Nayeon eat on the Gryffindor table. She did it a lot and no one really minded it amongst their peers, with the exception of questioning glances or confused glares she sometimes received. Jeongyeon too, sometimes ate in the Ravenclaw table, but she and Hyo haven’t so much as fulfilled her request to eat at the Slytherin table.

And she didn’t really care.

Some of their classmates were direct descendants from huge Pureblood family lines, and although the three of them were basically untouchable as well when it was regarding blood status, it was quite suffocating to always hear about these kinds of topics in her house.

“H-hello.” Someone behind her spoke, making her look as she munched through her dinner.

It was the quiet girl she saw a while ago.

Jihyo stared at her and the girl, nudging her best friend as the girl looked down, unable to speak.

“Hello,” Nayeon responded, hoping that her nervousness would be masked by her façade. She wasn’t quite sure why the girl was here.

“I just want to thank you for defending me today,” she started, still looking down at the floor while handing her what looked like a box with a letter on top of it.

Nayeon cleared her throat, her heart beating faster. “I – sure. It wasn’t a biggie.”

“It was, thank you so much.” The girl immediately bowed and didn’t even give her any time to respond, scooting away to where her friend was waiting.

::::

When Nayeon met Momo, she saw someone whose name didn’t stand out – who was made fun of, who made people think she was just another no-name in the vast world of magic.

But Nayeon thought otherwise.

The first time they became friends, Momo led Nayeon through a door in the entrance hall, which led to downward stairs. At first, Nayeon was scared that they were going to be apprehended, but then she saw the brightly lit and decorated corridor and had a huge grin on her face thereafter. Momo tickled the pear in a painting and it giggled, revealing a door that led to the entrance of the Hogwarts kitchens.

To say she was overjoyed was an understatement, because as soon as they got in, the house-elves smiled and asked what they wanted to eat. Nayeon looked at Momo who only smiled at her and then talked to the house elves, which were only too eager to help.

The kitchen was a gigantic, high-ceilinged room with a few tables that were identical to the ones inside the Great Hall. There were pots and pans heaped around the countertops or stoves. Momo led Nayeon around the kitchens and pointed towards her favorite food.

Surprised that a timid-looking girl like her was able to know the secrets of the kitchens this early, Nayeon couldn’t help but be amazed as they laughed together. They ate treacle tarts and put some desserts on their pockets, tried out the new recipes that the house-elves were cooking.

They delightedly tasted the warm, chocolate milk the elves prepared for them and laughed together as they exchanged Hogwarts stories.

And when it was time to go, Momo bowed as she led Nayeon on the corridor that led to the Slytherin dorms.

“Thank you for saving me back there. Those people were telling me to go home and put a strange ingredient in my cauldron, that’s why the professor made us repeat. I enjoyed today and I hope to see you more.”

Momo grinned and slowly walked away.

When Nayeon met Momo, she saw things that people usually missed. There was a determined gaze and hunger at her words and stories, along with a gentle kindness in her eyes. And Nayeon knew that this person would be special.

Well, maybe she already was.

::::

::::

On Halloween morning, Jeongyeon excitedly went to the Charms classroom with Jihyo, spotting Mina on the way. The three friends hugged, smiling brightly at the thought that they were in the same class today.

Jeongyeon still had a lot of happy thoughts left from passing the Quidditch trials, becoming their new seeker and Mina attentively listened to all her stories, even when the former knew she was there when she got drafted.

Professor Flitwick put the glass into pairs for practice. Jeongyeon’s partner was Mina and Jihyo was paired with Chaeyoung.

“Good morning class,” squeaked Professor Flitwick, who was perched on top of his usual pile of books. “Today we will be applying what we have learned about Shrinking Charms. Once again, what do these charms do?”

Mina raised her hand besides Jeongyeon, which caused the latter to smile.

“Yes Ms. Myoui?” acknowledged the professor, nodding his head.

“The Shrinking Charm causes an object to shrink or get smaller. If used as a counter-spell for the Engorgement charm which causes the objects to enlarge, the object will return to its original size. It is also used as a spell for the Shrinking solution.”

“Excellent work, ten points to Ravenclaw,” Flitwick muttered happily. “What Ms. Myoui said is correct.”

“Make sure you word the spell clearly and don’t forget the nice wrist movement to go along with it. Don’t be disheartened if it takes you a while, these are difficult spells.” Professor Flitwick then demonstrated the spell on the coin before him, making it bigger then returning it to its original size.

The whole class proceeded on muttering and shouting spell. Some became impatient while others resorted to looking at other pairs.

It was a difficult spell. Jeongyeon tried a few times but the coin neither budged nor did it change in size.

“A bit more movement on the side,” muttered Mina, taking Jeongyeon’s hand and demonstrating how it looked like. “It has to be precise or you won’t get any results.”

Jeongyeon nodded and tried it again, only succeeding on making the coin move this time. To their left, Jihyo and Chaeyoung were reading the book again.

“I think you should try first,” Jeongyeon requested, completely exhausted thirty minutes later. “It’s not budging for me.”

Mina nodded and looked at the coin in between them, concentrating. She gave out a sigh and checked her wand form, pointing at the object. “ _Engorgio._ ”

The coin immediately became bigger, causing their professor to look at their direction. “Well done Ms. Myoui!”

Jeongyeon clapped her hands in admiration, giving Mina a thumbs up for the job well done.

“Now let’s see if you can reduce it,” he said excitedly.

Mina was at wits’ end now that everyone in the room was looking at her. Her heart beat was erratic and her brain felt like a mush. Jeongyeon must have sensed it because as soon as their eyes met, she whispered words of encouragement.

Once again, she looked at the coin and focused, her wand pointed at the object and in one, swift, precise motion muttered, “ _Reducio._ ”

“Oh, well done!” cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. “Everyone look, Miss Myoui’s done it!”

Throughout the cheers and applause she received however, some of her classmates just sulked in the corner.

::::

::::

Jeongyeon found her crying inside their Charms classroom. It took her a while to get there as she had to check if Mina retreated to the Ravenclaw Tower. Not knowing the riddle, she had to wait for Chaeyoung to appear and check.

As soon as she reached her, she sat beside her and put her head on her shoulder. She knew that Mina needed space above else, and would talk when she felt like it.

But as soon as Jeongyeon did, Mina burst out crying.

“I just… I really believed it didn’t matter, being a muggle-born. And I was wrong, and now I don’t know. I don’t think I belong here and I’m never going to –”

“Stop,” Jeongyeon said, gripping her shoulder. She was shaking tremendously and her eyes were scared. “It doesn’t matter, do you hear me? Look at me Mina,” Jeongyeon’s gaze never left hers, willing Mina to look only at her.

She took a deep breath in between sobs, steadying herself as she closed her eyes. “Only look at me,” she whispered gently, making Mina finally open her eyes. “It doesn’t matter how you were born; it matters what you do. You’re amazing and talented and you’ve proven so again and again.”

Jeongyeon hugged her tightly, one of her hands cupping her head. Her warmth was reassuring, Mina thought, it made her feel as if everything will be alright. “It doesn’t matter if you’re muggle-born. You are amazing and you always prove it. Your parents are also equally amazing and you should be proud of that.”

Mina nodded, feeling slightly placated, but still upset. “Why would they say something like that?”

Her tone broke Jeongyeon, it felt helpless and lost, like people trampled her spirit enough for her to finally give up. “Because they are frightened by you,” Jeongyeon sighed, looking at the floor. “For them, you are a threat. Remember Hermione Granger? She was the – ”

“Brightest witch of her age,” Mina responded, making Jeongyeon chuckle.

“Yes. And no one was as impressive as her, not even Harry Potter, so I guess they are scared. They think they are the only ones allowed to be the best.”

“What happened after I stormed off?”

“Nayeon defended you,” Jeongyeon answered. “She and Jihyo actually made them retreat with their tails between their legs.”

“Won’t Nayeon get into trouble because of me?”

Jeongyeon shrugged, one of her hands rubbing comforting circles on Mina’s back. “Nayeon is a big girl who knows what she wants. She’ll be fine. They are more worried about you.”

“I’m sorry I’ve caused you this much trouble Jeong.”

“Momo also experienced this a while back,” Jeongyeon confided, giving her a small smile. “She had to suffer detention with the three of them. Her friend Sana was so worried. I guess it was fate that Nayeon forgot her book and reminded them who was boss back then.”

“Nayeon-unnie is amazing,” Mina said softly, knowing Momo would have been so grateful to have someone who defended her.

“Just know that we’re here for you, that’s all,” Jeongyeon responded, patting her back. They stood with each other in comfortable silence, with all the events today finally settling down for Mina.

“Jeongie?” Mina asked hesitantly, directly looking at Jeongyeon’s eyes for answers.

“Yes?” the latter responded with a smile.

“Does it make a difference, being muggle-born?”

“No,” Jeongyeon said confidently, hugging her. “It doesn’t make any difference.”

::::


End file.
